Reply by Chris Wright

Are you planning on making a hammer type mallet or a turned carvers mallet? I wouldn’t use Oak (specifically red oak) for a carvers mallet because the open grain would splinter after extended use. As a hammer style mallet I think it would be ok, especially if you pad the face with lather. Beech, walnut and maple make great mallet heads also. As for glue up, regular yellow glue (titebond, elmers, etc.) will work fine.